In a variety of diagnostic situations, a physician may need to monitor the brain wave activity of a patient in order to determine the proper course of treatment. Conventional brain wave monitoring systems, known as electroencephalographs, create electroencephalograms ("EEGs"). EEGs are graphs of the fluctuating brain wave activity of the patient being monitored. Electroencephalographs create EEGs by receiving electric signals from a series of electrodes glued to the scalp of the patient at a variety of points about the patient's scalp.
These electrodes are typically wired to a processing device and provide an electric signal which is influenced by the electric signals of the brain. The signals from the electrodes can be used by the processing device to create an EEG. EEG's may be displayed on a screen or printed on a roll of paper. The physician can then review the EEG for evidence of abnormal brain activity in the patient. Existing EEGs are also sometimes supplemented by footage of the patient filmed with a video camera and recorded with video tape recorder (VTR) on a conventional tape medium. However, the footage and the EEG must be temporally coordinated before being reviewed by a physician, and the review process can still be troublesome and very time-consuming.
Conventional electroencephalographs also suffer from a number of additional drawbacks. For example, the process of gluing electrodes to the scalp of a patient prior to monitoring is a messy and labor-intensive process that must be carried out by a trained professional. Moreover, standard adhesives and solvents used for this purpose may produce toxic fumes and therefore the gluing cannot occur in many areas of a hospital. Alternatively, electrodes are sometimes inserted below the scalp, an invasive process which is better avoided if possible.
Additionally, if the physician is looking for a brain wave anomaly that occurs irregularly or infrequently, the patient may need to be monitored for a lengthy period of time. This becomes difficult for the patient who must remain largely immobile while wired to the processing device of the electroencephalograph.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved apparatus and method for monitoring brain wave activity that can overcome these and other problems inherent in the prior art.